Time-fuse for shells.



A. H. MIDGLEY.

TIME FUSE FOR SHELLS APPLICATION men MAY 22. 1911.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

J LQL To all whom it may concern: ,7.

Be itknownthat I,ALBERT HENRY MIDG- LE'Y, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, andresiding at Warple Way, 5 ,Acton Va1e, in the county of Middlesex, a iEngland, have invented certain new and use- "ful Improvements in and'Relating to Time- I specification. V v o 1 0, This invention relates to time fuses for g shells, and more'particularly to lead or like covered fusesinwhichrthe timing is elfected by-punohinglthe-fuse at a'point more or less di'stant from its point'of connection with the space communicating with'the primer accordingtothe timeit is desired to lapse between the moment of firing and that of explosion. I. i i

i :EInmyconc'urrent application for Letters fusecomprising a lead or like covered fuse having two adjacent and relatively station-' ary portions separated from each other, with fthe exception of a small passage which can T be shifted between the two adjacent portions and Jthrough.which; the fuse is laterally punchedat thecrequired points.

' rTim fuses; in wh'dh leador like covered 6 fuses are employed are sometimes rendered 0. inoperative by the flame being extinguished i by the molten lead which is thrown about when the' shell hits'the ground and the main object. of (the present invention is'to provide .means'by which flhis drawback is avoided. 5 According :to. the present invention, the lead or. like covered fuse described in my Tprior specification No. 17 0,542 is modified byrbeing compos'ed of two parts, the two endsiof the o'ne-jpart being. connected with 40lthe' primer and, the explosive in the shell respectively, while theother part of the fuse has-one of its endsconnected with] the explosive in the shell, its other end being either free, orfconnected with the first part of the fuse. -,One of the two parts of the fuse togetherfwitha portion of the other part is @used' as. an: adjustable time fuse and the whole of-the' latter part acts as a of Referring to the" accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention byway of jexamplez- Y Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. "Iv-Fig. '2 is a sectional plan alongthe line KB in Fig. 1, i I.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1917. Serial No. 170,543.

. Fuses for Shells, ofwlhich'the following is, a

zo Patent No. 17 0,5421 have described a time o T D STATES PATENT OFFOE.

imam HENRY 'MIDGLEY, or Ac'roN V LE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR or oNn-HALF TO CHARLES ANTHONY vA nnRvnLn'oF ACTON VALE, ENGLAND.

TIME-FUSE FOR SHELLS.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and

Fig.4 is a side elevation, partly in section,

of the improved time fuse, Figs. 3 and 4: being views from opposite sides, while Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the arrangement of the fuse within the fuse holder. I t

Referring to the drawings, a is the fuse holder which receive/son its cylindrical periphery b a lead or like covered fuse comprising two parts, one part extending from i the end c communicating with the primer around the upper part of the fuse holder (see c inFig. 4) and then being bent down at c and continued along a short portion 0* of the lower part of the fuse holder to the end 0 communicating with the explosive in the shell, the other part of. the fuse-extendingfromits free end 0 along the lower par't of the fuse holder and terminating at its end a which communicates with the explosive, in the shell. The two parts of thefuse extending on the periphery of the fuse holder are adjacent and are separated from each other by an incomplete bi-partite fiat ring 6 fitting in a groove provided on the periphery of the fuse holder-and adapted to be rotated 'b'etween'the adjacent portions of the'fuse by means of a sleeve f provided with indentations f engaging with projections 6 pro-- vided on the separating ring 6.; At the point opposite the incomplete portion 6 of the separating. ring 6, the sleeve f'is provided with a guiding member f provided with a guiding hole f of therequired dimension to permit of a punch being inserted therein for the purpose of laterally punching the two adjacent portions of thefuse. V J The rotary sleeve f is prevented from axial movement by means of av retaining ring d, sprung into a recess provided in the fuse holder above the sleeve f. The latter sleeve and the fixed. fuseholder. a are provided with an index 7 and withv graduations a respectively for the purpose-of indicatin the timing of the, fuse which is determmed by the position of'the sleeve relatively to theholder; i

The ends 0 and 0 of the two parts of the fuse preferably terminate into a ring 9 for the purpose of directing the flame downward through the hole 9 10f the ring, The triking mechanism of the fuse comprises a plunger h retained in its position ring 2' a plunger pin 7', a percussion cap or primer k and a spring Z interposedbetween the plunger and the percuss on cap. 7 The operatio-n off the time fuse herein 7 before described is similar 'tothatof thetimel fuse described in my concurrent. application .i above referred to, with the exception that when the fuse'is punched, say at a point m (see Fig. 5), the flame-is-divided-at-this;

point into'tWo flames, the one flame continuing to traverse the main path along a, While the other flame traverses'the' auxiliary path 0 0 ,0 0 so" that if the} main pathbecomes inoperative owing to the flame'ofthe burning'fuseflbeing extinguished by the-molten 'lead'Wlien the shellhits" the? ground after thefiame has passed the point m, the flame along-the auxiliary path-still continuesyto-burn;

Wish it to be understood that; the invention' hereinbefore described is i not llmlted- T to the mode :of' carrying-it into effect above referred to and that the' jdetails of construc tion may bevaried Without in any Waydeparting'from the sp rit ofthe invention:-

For instance; the lead or like coveredfuse maybeformediof'one single piece' bent back on itself in the shape of a hairpin as ,in my concurrent application No. 170,542, it two endsr ommunicating With theprimer' andthe explosive in the shell respectively and the bending point being connected by i a separate continuation' of the fuse With the explosi've in the shell. In this case the punching; is effected between the-two ad acent: portions j of the hair-pinformation of thelfus'e' which acts as an adjustable time p s whatlIclaim iss V i 11- A time fuse for explosive shells having fuse'whileone branch of these adjacent'po'v tionstogether with the continuation of the fuse above refer'red to serves} as a fuse of fixed timing:

a fuse holder; a covered fuse mountedi on the fuse holder and 1 having tvvo adjacent parts; a gap in one ofthe-two ad acent parts of theifuse, a movable'member for covering the" adjacent parts ofth'e fuse and a punch-' ing hole in said movable member-for punch- 7 set. forth.

ing the fuse laterally, as and forthepurpose 2. A time as for shells "ma -a as V holder, a space provided in the fuse holder V for receiving the, primer, a space provided in the fuse holder for communicating with the explosive in thesshell, a covered fuse mountedjon'the fuse 'holderrand having two adjacent parts, a movable-membertfor covering the adjacent .parts' of; the fuse, a punch ing holein the'saidmovabl'e" member for, punching the fuse laterally, one off the two adj acent' parts of the fusebeing interrupted by a gap andithe' other part thereof together with its continuation in the second part formin'g a'fuse" of "fixed tlIIl1Ilg its-two ends being connected the space pro-.5

- vided' for the primer! and With the space p communicating, with the explosive "the shellrespectively, Whilea portion of the first having two adjacentparts, a: gap iinronefofv the twoadj a'centparts'of the fuse; a separat' ing movable 1 member' 'arranged between; the

adjacent parts of the'fuse, an openin'g pro Y videdin 'said separating-movable member, a

movable =1nember foricoveringlthei adjacent 2 1 parts-bf the fuse; and; a punchingzlio le pro vided in the latter :movable:= memberand? arranged-'to register withlthesopening in tlie: separating-imovable member-pas setiforthe; g 4. time fusefor shells-hawingta-xfuse v holder, [a coveredf-fuse1mounted thereon;said I fuse being bent back on itself in the fommoii j a hairpin so as to have two. adj acentlpants, a' gap in one-iof the adjacent: parts ofthe 7 fuse, a' separatin'g movable .memberiarranged" between the' adjacent parts iof the fuse; an 7 I opening" provided: in said. separatingimove able member, a movable member for. covering the adj acent-parts of the fuse and a punchin ghole provided in theflatter nroivable'mems her and arranged tyregister' withgtlie-opens ing' in theseparating movable-membeigias 7' setforth, V V a 5.; A1 time fuse 1 forshells; having a; fuse holder; a covered fuse =mountedi=theneon and having two adj ac'ent' parts, a gapiim onezof the two a dj a cent p arts of the'fuse, a movable ring-arranged between said: adjacent-parts a, V r 7 of- 'thefuse' -and formedfwithiaogapg a::.ni v--1'10' i able inemberfor'covering thead acentt-parts f ofthe fuse, and a'punching'hole imthe latter movable member arrangedtoi-registerwith thegap' in' thering, asand :fo'r the'purpose setforthp 1.

6: A time F fuse for-"shells having azfuse' holder," an annular recess formed on the'said, fuse holder, a: covered fuse mounted in said 11 recess and hav ing two adj acent parts,v a. gap

in one=of thef tvvoadjacentpartsaoflthe fuse, 1 20 a movable member :'for covering: said recess and the adj-acenti parts ofthefuse mounted?w .l J

therein, andia punching hole -in:saidimovable member for punching the adjacentgparts of V 7 the fuse' laterallyglassetforth; l V r 71 A time'fuse'for shells having a fuse.

holder, a recess formed on the cylindrical pee 'riphery of the fus holder;- a coveredfuse mountediin saidrecessitandfhaving twozadja- 7 cent parts, a gap in one of'thetwo adjacent i 7'5 if i l g; While its othergend is= conrifii with V V with theexplo i 7 Q Copies of this patent may be obtained for parts of thefuse, a separating movable member arranged in said recess between the adj acent parts of the fuse, an opening in said 7 separating movable member, a movable sleeve foricovering the said recess and adjacent parts of the fuse mounted therein, and fa punchinghole in'said sleeve arranged to firegister with the opening in the separating ifnovfible member, as and for the purpose set ort a 8; Atime fuse for shells having a fuse holder, a recess formed on the periphery of the fuse holder, a covered fuse mounted in said recess and-bent back on itself in the form, of. a hairpin so as to have adjacent V parts,-a gap in one of the two adjacent parts of the fuse, the radial depth of the recess. receiving the fuse being made greater in the proximity of the bend of the fuse, a V. movable member for covering the recess and the adjacent parts of the fuse, and a punching hole in said movable member for punching the adjacent parts of the fuse laterally, as set forth.

9. A time fuse for shells having a fuse holder, an annular recess provided on the periphery of the fuse holder, a covered fuse mounted in the said recess and having two adjacent parts, a gap in one of the two adjacent parts of the fuse, aseparating ring provided between the adjacent parts of the fuse and having a gap, a rotary sleeve for covering the said recess and the adjacent parts of the fuse, a punching hole in the said rotary sleeve arranged to register with the gap in the separating ring and means for connecting together the rotary sleeve and the ring, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT HENRY MIDGLEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

